Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?

The spiritual journey begins with the recognition that beneath our surface happiness there lies a deep inner pain.

A man is not called wise because he talks and talks again; but if he is peaceful, loving and fearless then he is in truth called wise.

Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat white beads.

The greatest obstacle to connecting with our joy is resentment.

Since all things are empty of inherent existence, anything is possible. If things had inherent existence, nothing would be possible.

Just know what is happening in your mind - not happy or sad about it, not attached. If you suffer, see it, know it, be empty.

The path of awakening is not about becoming who we think we should be, but about unbecoming who we are not.

As rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, passion will break through an unreflecting mind.

Whatever precious jewel there is in the heavenly worlds, there is nothing comparable to one who is awakened.

The more you give, the more you have. That's the economics of kindness.

The seed of suffering in you may be strong, but don't wait until you have no more suffering before allowing yourself to be happy.

The greatest obstacle to meditation is our expectation about what it should be.

The five aggregates are not a theoretical model but a description of lived experience to be investigated through mindfulness.

Through our eyes, the universe is perceiving itself. Through our ears, the universe is listening to its harmonies. We are the witnesses through which the universe becomes conscious of its glory, of its magnificence.

Compassion is not something we develop. It arises naturally as we see the truth of what is.

The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.

The way to overcome anger is to be too busy being kind to have time to be angry.

The yogi's joy is in the solitude of mountains, where all distractions naturally dissolve into emptiness.

The Buddha's teachings are not a religion, but a science of mind.

The goal of Buddhist practice is not to escape from the world but to transform our relationship with it.

Liberation is not found by running away from our experience but by looking deeply into it.

The practice of mindfulness is simple: whatever you experience, you observe and note it.

The deepest form of happiness comes from discovering the natural peace of our own awareness.

As long as you seek for something, you will get the shadow of reality and not reality itself.

The lamp of wisdom burns constantly, illuminating the nature of mind.

The mind is the source of all happiness and the source of all suffering.

The state of mind that exists when you sit in the right posture is, itself, enlightenment.

The role of Zen is neither to stand above life nor to run away from it, but to face it with a spirit of determination.

A disciplined mind leads to happiness, and an undisciplined mind leads to suffering.

Don't be afraid of the future. The future is good.

Don't try to change the world. First, change yourself.

When you practice zazen you should not try to attain anything. You should just sit in the complete calmness of your mind and not rely on anything.